Latehar Betla National Park Tiger Elephant Jharkhand

Betla National Park in Latehar district is one of India's oldest wildlife sanctuaries, established in 1986 as part of Project Tiger and the first Tiger Reserve in the Chotanagpur plateau, harbouring Bengal tiger, Asian elephant, gaur, leopard, and over 200 bird species in its 1,500 square kilometre sal-dominated forest. Betla's landscape is the ecological core of the Palamu Tiger Reserve, and the district's tribal communities — primarily Chero and Oraon — have lived around the forest for generations, combining forest use with subsistence farming on plateau margins. Betla's eco-tourism provides income to tribal forest guides and local homestay operators, and the park is connected to Jharkhand tourism's hill station circuit via Netarhat plateau.